Open Primaries

Friday, August 12, 2011

New Yorkers Want Independent Redistricting; Pedro Espada Fights State Efforts to Close Soundview

NEW YORK

Poll: More Women Pols = Fewer Shenanigans (BY Celeste Katz, Daily News/Daily Politics) The poll also found that 50% of state voters wanted an independent commission to draw new district lines for congressional and state legislative seats, 13% wanted the state Legislature to continue to do it and 26% wanted and independent redistricting commission with some input from lawmakers.

Espada Vows Funding Fight (By SUMATHI REDDY And PERVAIZ SHALLWANI, Wall Street Journal) More than 75 community members and clinic board members gathered at a news conference Tuesday in the Bronx to support Mr. Espada, who accused Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a fellow Democrat, of using the clinics in a political fight against him.

Pedro Espada, Jr: Soundview Clinics Not Closing (Updated) (BY Celeste Katz, Daily News/Daily Politics) “It is our stance that Mr. Cuomo has a personal vendetta to wage against Mr. Espada and we recognize that Mr. Cuomo has a personal stake in this as he brought the charges against Mr. Espada while he served as attorney general, but now he wants to act as judge and jury and as a destroyer of vital health services,” Soundview spokesman Rachel Fasciani said later.

Espada gets ill will - Medicaid dumps Bx. scandal clinic (By FREDRIC U. DICKER, State Editor, NY Post) In a letter to Soundview board chairwoman Constance Bruno, the Health Department noted that the clinic's Medicaid service delivery system was managed by Espada and his son, Pedro G. Espada, both of whom were excluded from participation in the Medicaid program by Medicaid Inspector General James Cox earlier this year.